Taxi Driver Online

Edinburgh Airport taxi delays blamed on glitch



The Edinburgh Airport rank was deserted at 10am yesterday.

AIRPORT officials have blamed a software glitch for early-morning traffic delays that blighted the first day of 
£30 million taxi rank deal.

A malfunctioning barrier controlling access to the airport’s public drop-off zone failed to operate, causing
delays of up to 15 minutes.

Black cab drivers reported passengers running from the queue with luggage to catch flights due to the hold-up.

The fault coincided with the first day under a five-year contract for the rank that has sparked a war of words between rival transport firms.

The deal jointly awarded to Edinburgh City Private Hire and black cab firm City Cabs has ended the five-year service previously run under a consortium involving the city’s largest taxi company, Central Taxis, and private company Onward Travel.

An airport spokesman said the problem had been an error linked to a software upgrade controlling the barrier.

The spokesman said the problem had taken less than half an hour to fix, adding: “Nothing has changed with the taxi rank. This could have happened on Friday or 
Saturday – it’s just pure and utter coincidence.”

Central Taxis director Tony Kenmuir labelled the morning queue as “enormous”.

He said: “We find that usually from town out to the airport, depending on where you’re going from, is between £16 and £18. But most of the fares were costing an extra £2 or £3 – a ten to 15 per cent increase because of the length of time it was taking sitting in traffic to get into the airport and drop off.”

Mr Kenmuir claimed extra taxis using the £1 drop-off zone had contributed to the traffic jam and said drivers had taken photographs of travellers waiting at an unmanned taxi rank.

He said: “We’re going to have to write to all our corporate customers now – all of the people that use us regularly to get to the airport – advising them to book their taxi ten or 15 minutes earlier.”

The rank will operate from its existing location until July, when operations will move to a new forecourt.

A marshal standing at the rank will use an iPad to key in passengers’ names and destinations before pointing them to the right vehicle at the alternate location.

Vehicles serving the taxi rank will have to be no older than five years old and each driver will be required to carry identification.

Police said they had received no reports of any incidents at the airport. ECPH and City Cabs were not available for comment.

ECPH director Kevin Woodburn had previously said the firm intended to operate out of the airport 24 hours to meet requirements.

The firm has been granted a temporary licence by Edinburgh City Council to run a booking office at the airport, but is the subject of an
objection filed by rival Central Taxis.

The licence application
will be decided later this month.

A council spokesman said: “An application for a permanent licence has been lodged and will be dealt with by the licensing sub-committee in due course, as will the objection.”

source: http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/ ... -1-2897078

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Sounds a bit Racist to me...shouldn't it have been "Drivers of Black Cabs"?

Central Director Tony Kensnowt quoted "the morning queues were enormous."

You're spot on Tony, they were, on the Bruntsfield, Shandon, Tollcross, Haymarket and in fact on all Central zones ya fud. When you were busy taking photos and holding court with any fanny that is stupid enough to listen to you, we were all sitting in zones doing hee haw. It was like that all day yesterday and having just had more of the same today, enormous Tony, ya tit!

We know you were locked in the bunker room today along with the business brains, MVF Kev, Murray and Joe. Can't wait to see what this brings. Now that you've alerted all the competitors to what you perceive is more expensive fares, im sure the competitors will be writing also, no doubt to offer a better deal. Or maybe you are writing to all our corporate clients because you know that the more expensive the fare is the more discount we'll have to shell out.

Do us a favour Tony and no write anything except your resignation. Yer the biggest prized dick this trade has ever encountered.

Hud the horses Tony, just remembered the last time you wrote to anyone the company ended up being sued. Don't touch the keyboard Tone.

And by the way the committee meeting today wasn't to discuss upping the settlement offer again was it?

"Vehicles serving the taxi rank will have to be no older than five years old"..........Really? are you sure??

What 15 whole minutes?

Heaven forbid.

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IDFIMH

There is no barrier to control the access the public drop-off zone. you pay on exit!!

More lies from the "defend the airport and Weegies" camp, ably assisted by [edited by admin] Scabs.

Never mind, Swannee, there's every chance you'll end up working for the Weegies, if City Cabs have their way.

What no one has noticed is happening in the picture is yes the rank was empty but the man loading the bags was entertaining the passengers in song. Those sharp enough will notice the handle is there and he's about to make a spout....

I'm a little teapot short and stout,

Here is my handle, here is my spout.


Now that's a true professional.

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"I'm going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation but the second ones don't fly. They're the subs for the first ones. And then the second ones take over - so it's teamwork."

Swannee, aptly named, just where Central is heading right down! What's your problem Swannee, you're beginning to sound like a committee man, "it's all lies I tell you." Pathetic, just face it Central have been turned over and there is nobody or nothing to blame other than the committee's own inadequacies and failings.

The best Central can do is supply tubes like you with spin and innuendo in the hope you believe it and pass it on. Have a look around you tomorrow, you'll be surrounded by begging lights, all thanks to your committee, nobody else. Clearly you are desperate to believe precious Central are entitled to any and everything just because they are Central?

The company is goosed and has become a laughing stock. The antics of Tony and Co is beyond belief and yet tubes like you still want to blame it all as a conspiracy, get real ya divvy.

When Tony is working you from behind tomorrow remember and congratulate him on his ability as a photographer. How predictable from him? On day 1 of the new service he arms himself with a camera to take snaps of what he thinks is a non service from the winning company. He then phones in the non story and sends photos telling some raw journalist that this is what the airport has let itself in for. Lo and behold the reason was a technical failure. Today was a roaring success for City by all accounts, no technical failures outwith their control.

Swannee, Tony would have been better trying to build a case or dossier of problems over a period of time but no, predictably he steams in and makes a shop front of it. Again this will only galvanise City, ECPH and the airport management to ensure the service is first class. Tony has only managed to make sure Central are further despised by all.

Ken what Swannee, spangles like you and him deserve each other.

Just like your predecessors, boneheid and whispa, you can't quite grasp the facts. To me the airport has never been worth working. Some drivers always claim to get great jobs every hire they get from there. The times I tried it, when it was open to all, I never found it worthwhile.
To you it may seem like the holy grail but to most of us it was somewhere we might get a fare if we were out that way.
Now that ECPH have let City share the airport, are you gonna let them share the Waverley? The slippery slope you are on now is just tragic.

Central going bust? I doubt it, since they have the overwhelming majority of customers, cash & contract, within the city. That's the reality of city's desperation for the airport - they have nothing else.

And before you spout more tosh, I don't work in Central, City or Comcab so all your petty pointscoring attempts are (pardon the pun) pointless.

Where do you start with this??

And before you reply I just want you to know I don't care but yet I go out my way to post on here about it. Nice boolshit touch with I don't work for any of the cab companies as well.

Swanee I hope you understand this......the airport wanted saloon cars to give passengers a choice. Now if it makes you feel better to blame City Cabs then go ahead. The real problem is Central have never gotten over the fact City said no to a merger. This then led to the action of Central deciding to go alone.

What should have happened is City and Central should have acquired Onward travel and mopped up ECPH's rivals and lumped in one big tender saying we could manage it all.

Now you can keep the mind set of Central North Korean Taxis or think for yourself.

The choice is yours Swanee.....

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"I'm going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation but the second ones don't fly. They're the subs for the first ones. And then the second ones take over - so it's teamwork."

So, you and an 'O' grade in English are strangers then

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

That's 15 minutes for Al Qaeda, or anyone for that matter, to stand in the queue, slip a ruck sack off shoulders and slip away.



BOOM!


You don't have to have passed through airport security to gain access to the taxi rank.

Presumably the Boston Marathon has no lessons for us to learn.

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

The writ blawbag. What about the writ?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"